Seeing the Wind
by Infinatum
Summary: Kimiko has been having trouble sleeping lately and recalling weird memories. There were three monks of earth, fire, and water. That was it, right? And what's with the Heylin?
1. Prologue: Weirder than Aunt Jessie

Hey guys.

This is my second story, and I'm hoping it'll be a bit better.

* * *

**Seeing the Wind**

** Prologue  
**

_Kimiko..._

Kimiko woke up, groaning. That voice had been waking her up for almost a week. "Stupid voice," she mumbled, rubbing her head. She sat up and looked at the clock beside her. _4:30 a.m. _

"Ugh," she groaned to herself, "this is earlier than before."

Kimiko switched her alarm off once again and stood up. Then she stretched her arms up and yawned, before walking out of her cubicle and to a bathroom. Tired, she dragged her feet slowly across the floor.

When she got to the bathroom, she shakily held on to the sink and opened her eyes. She groaned again; her hair was in a mess and there were bags under her eyes. After a moment of steadying herself, she locked the door and began her normal morning routine; brushing, flossing, combing...

After she was done, she headed to the kitchen and heated up some leftover eggrolls from last night's dinner. As Kimiko turned the stove off, she grabbed a plate and cup from a shelf and placed eggrolls on her plate. Her eyes were barely open throughout the whole process, and they stayed that way as she grabbed her food and chopsticks on her walk to the porch.

At the porch, Kimiko laid her plate down on the table. In the middle was a steaming pitcher of tea. She sat down on the porch floor and poured some tea into her cup, which reminded her briefly about the time she had to pour tea while the other three monks tormented her.

_Wait, three? There was only Omi and Clay._

Kimiko shrugged away the thought and continued the morning in her dulled state. She had to admit, though, that getting up earlier did have its advantages. The usual morning ruckus of three monks scrambling for the bathroom was avoided, and the early stars of dawn were really lovely to gaze at. Kimiko loved the serene feeling of having breakfast alone on the porch. The crickets chirped gently, and though it was summer there was no sun beating down on her, but a cool morning breeze that reminded her of something.

Kimiko couldn't quite place her pig tails on whatever it was, so she shrugged the feeling off once more and took a sip from her tea. She didn't want anything to ruin this peaceful morning.

"Ahh...I see you've met dawn, Kimiko."

Surprised, she spilled tea all over her herself and placed herself into a crooked fighting stance. "Master Fung! What are you doing here?" she asked, startled. The dragon-in-training eased herself.

"I always come here to have some tea and relax on the porch at this time. I'm sure you understand why."

Kimiko nodded and blushed in embarrassment, realizing that she hadn't even thought about where the pitcher of tea had come from. She blushed even deeper when she realized she was still in her pajamas.

"Now may I ask what you are doing up at this time?" Master Fung asked.

Kimiko thought about telling Master Fung, but wasn't sure. At first she thought that the voice would just go away after a while, but it had only been getting worse.

"Well...you see... There's been this weird voice inside my head waking me up for the past few days. Today it woke me up a bit earlier than usual, but I'm sure it's fine."

Master Fung was silent, obviously in thought.

"Well, if you say so, young monk, but if you have any problems, don't be afraid to alert me or any of the other monks." He walked down the porch towards a door for a moment before turning around. The sun was beginning to rise. "And I'm sure they will be rising any moment now." With that he walked into the door. Kimiko finished her breakfast and cleaned her dishes. She ran to her room and changed, throwing her pajamas into the laundry to have them washed. Suddenly Clay yawned.

"Good morning Clay. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Slept better 'an a bear in the winter," Clay replied, walking out of his cubicle already changed and heading for the bathroom before noticing the bags under Kimiko's eyes.

"Are you okay, Kimiko? You look worse than a raccoon-"

"I'm fine, Clay. I just woke up early today."

Clay shrugged and continued on to the bathroom.

Smiling, she went to the porch, having decided to wait for the others there. She watched as the sun rose in a beautiful sea of fire, and light slowly entered the temple in waves.

* * *

As the Wudai Warriors trained that afternoon in the courtyard, Master Fung came to them with an announcement.

"I'm going to choose one of you to be Shoku warrior and lead the others."

The three of them stopped and headed towards Master Fung. Omi was the first one to Master Fung.

"Is it me Master Fung!" he asked excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Now now, be patient young monk. Wait for the others to get here." As he said this, Kimiko and Clay walked up.

"Each of you are going to go on a quest to prove yourselves. Only each of you, with a little help from Dojo, may choose what quest," Master Fung announced. He had an odd feeling like he had already chosen someone, but since there was no Shoku warrior among them he was obviously wrong.

Suddenly Hannibal Bean came out of hiding on his Ying Ying bird. He flew off, laughing maniacally about something before anyone could do anything.

"Why...that was weirder than the night Aunt Jessie slept with the pigs," Clay muttered.

"No kidding," Kimiko added. They all looked around, expecting an attack or trap of some kind.

"Well... Nothing seems disturbed. I'm going to go back to my office now. Continue training, young monks." Master Fung turned around and headed towards his office. Omi flipped around happily, thinking that the others didn't stand a chance.

"Do not fear, my friends, I'm sure by some luck that you might just win," Omi announced boastfully while practicing stances.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Omi," Clay replied before practicing his moves again. Kimiko also went back to her flipping exercises, though she had been lagging obviously from lack of sleep.

* * *

Later that night, the three monks noticed a fourth cubicle. They hadn't noticed it that morning by chance, but it was still peculiar.

"Hmm... I don't think I've ever noticed that one before," Clay pointed out. It was completely empty, but still similar to theirs.

"Maybe it's for storage, like a closet or something," Kimiko replied.

"Or maybe there is another monk coming to train with us!" Omi announced excitedly. Kimiko and Clay looked at each other while Omi smiled at the prospect of meeting a new friend.

"Meh... maybe we'll see in the morning. I'm beat," Kimiko half said half yawned. She walked to the entrance of her room and closed the curtain door. Clay yawned next and stretched his arms.

"Yea, I'm gonna hit the hay too. See ya tomorrow, Omi." He walked to his own cubicle and shut the curtain.

Omi couldn't wait to know, but knew they were right. He too was tired and ready for bed. He walked into his room and shut the curtain. In the middle of the room he sat upside down, ready for another day to plan his Shoku quest. Omi breathed in and out, steadily falling asleep on his head as always.

* * *

Please read and review.

-Thanks


	2. Ch 1: Smirk the Smack Off Your Face

Thanks for the reviews! I'm really hoping I can keep this story alive though. Sometimes it's hard to keep a good story going.

And looking at the reviewers, they are pretty good authors themselves. :D

_

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_

**Seeing the Wind**

**Chapter 1  
**

_Kimiko..._

"Ugh... Leave me alone..." Kimiko complained. She tried covering both ears with her pillow, but the voice wouldn't stop.

_Please... Kimiko..._

Frustrated, she threw the pillow at the wall in front of her and glanced at the clock. _2:08 a.m._

_Attack... Kimiko..._

She opened her blood shot eyes and pounded the side of her head. "Get out! Get out!"

"Kimiko, you alright?" Clay asked, pushing aside the curtain hastily after hearing the pillow and her yelling. Kimiko nearly leaped back in surprise, but eased when she saw that it was Clay.

"Yea... I'm fine. Just a really bad nightmare..." Kimiko sighed. She sat up and tried to smile, but it obviously came out wrong seeing Clay's horrified expression. Her eyes were bloodshot with bags under them, and her hair was a mess. Her cheeks sagged lower than the wrinkles on Uncle Terry's old weener dog. Kimiko groaned.

"Clay, what are you staring at?" She tried to glare at him but failed from exhaustion.

"Uh... nothing... Just checking to make sure you were alright. Have a good night, Kimiko..." Clay closed the curtain and trudged back to his own room, prepared to go to sleep himself. Kimiko dropped her glare and looked down in dismay.

But suddenly the temple alarm bell sounded. Omi fell over in surprise, but quickly ran outside, already in his robes. Clay grunted, grabbed his hat, and quickly changed into his Xiaolin robes. He headed outside where Master Fung was stalling vigorously.

Kimiko groaned again at her luck. She furiously changed into her robes, prepared to claw the eyes out of her victims, and headed out of her cubicle.

As cranky as she was, she didn't fail to notice the foreboding feeling in the air.

Kimiko was a little dizzy at first, running with a sloppy thud against the hard wooden floors of the temple. She steadied herself as she ran out onto the soft grass, tempted to fall and sleep right there.

She paused at the change of scenery, as it was no longer the peaceful early morning she had drunken tea in. All of the other monks had been evacuated, as usual, but shadows raced across the walls in flurries. Lights all across the temple walls were burning menacingly green, and the wind was harsh and unforgiving. Kimiko, in her dazed state, rubbed her eyes trying not to get dizzy.

This reminded her of the time Wuya had taken over briefly and... Was there someone else who helped her? It was probably Jack Spicer... Yeah. He was the one who helped her and then trapped her realizing what a mistake he had made, or something.

* * *

Once Omi reached the grounds near the Sheng Gong Wu vault, he noticed Master Fung in danger. Enlarged Hannibal Bean was attacking directly, making quick blows, but the old man was blocking and dodging each one. Soon Wuya tried a cheap shot from behind, but Omi quickly sped in to block her attack. The fighting paused as Bean and Wuya leapt back, facing the Xiaolin warriors. Master Fung and Omi also leapt back as Clay and Kimiko arrived.

"Hannibal Bean and Wuya! What are you two doing here?" Omi yelled, pointing at them. He ignored the sudden outburst of green flames from the lanterns.

"Simple. To steal Sheng Gong Wu!" the bean yelled back. He glanced at each one of them and smirked.

"Oh yeah? We shall smirk the smack off your face! Wudai Orion Formation!" Omi commanded. Bean groaned and Wuya smacked herself in the face.

Not even bothering to correct him, Clay and Kimiko sped to their positions. The three formed a triangle with Clay on the left, Omi on the right, and Kimiko shakily on top. They began to glow, but suddenly the formation failed and Kimiko fell down on her butt.

"What's going on?" Kimiko yawned more than asked, rubbing her butt. "We should've gone into Orion form!"

Wuya and Hannibal looked at each other mischeivously.

"Well, Clay, Omi, and... Woah..." Wuya held her hand up to her face and laughed. Kimiko blushed and huffed furiously, noticing the mess she currently was. "It seems you guys are missing-"

"Now now, Wuya, you wouldn't want to reveal our plans now would ya?" Bean interrupted, amusement in his eyes.

"I suppose so... Now let's get those Sheng Gong Wu!"

Bean rushed Master Fung while the three Wudai Warriors ran to guard the vault from Wuya. Suddenly Jack and Katnappe jumped down from a hover car in front of them. "Hello, Xiaolin losers!" Jack announced proudly, landing swiftly. It seemed even wimpy Jack Spicer had something in store for them. "Jackbots, attack!"

"We'll stall these two, you guard the vault Omi!" Kimiko yelled, throwing a fireball at Katnappe.

"Why? You would probably do a better job at scaring away intruders!" Katnappe purred, dodging and unleashing her three super kitties. The kitties stopped in front of Kimiko whose head enlarged, fire encompassing it. She barked furiously at the cats, scaring them away.

"See what I mean?" Katnappe sneered.

"Why you-!"

"-less talking, more fighting Kimiko!" Clay interrupted, ramming his body into more jackbots.

Katnappe extended her claws and charged at Kimiko, whose eyes burned viciously. Kimiko's hands caught on fire and she mustered as much energy as she could in her state to attack. She tried to strike with her fire palms, swiping left, jabbing right, but Katnappe was too agile. Katnappe clawed diagonally to Kimiko's left, and Kimiko prepared to counter when suddenly Katnappe's wicked smile caught her attention. A cat tried to attack Kimiko from behind, forcing Kimiko to leap away instead. However, when Kimiko tried to land, she clumsily tripped over a root and skidded on her butt in the middle of one of the temple's gardens. Kimiko snarled, wiping the dirt off of her butt. Katnappe caught her kitten and laughed innocently.

* * *

"Stop and resist!" Omi called out, pointing at Wuya as they neared the Sheng Gong Wu temple. Wuya smacked her face again as they ran beside each other. "It's cease and desist-"

"Hiya! Leopard strike!" Omi yelled as he attacked. He hit Wuya square in the face, knocking her down into the dirt. "Haha! While you were uselessly bantering, I-"

Suddenly Wuya threw a well-aimed kick that sent Omi flying into a nearby tree. "Foolish little cheeseball," she muttered under her breath. Omi groaned, leaping out of the tree and dashing towards the vault. When he got there, Wuya already had many Sheng Gong Wu tied up in a bag and was heading out.

* * *

"You fight well, old man," Bean muttered, blocking a punch with one of his many arms.

"And you're not so bad yourself," Master Fung replied, dodging a counter strike.

Suddenly there was a disturbance, as the green flames suddenly flickered ominously.

"JACK!" Bean called while still fighting. Jack appeared while his robots were fighting Clay. He took advantage of the situation and shot some sort of net at Master Fung while he was fighting, but there was no Omi to stop it. Master Fung was pinned to the ground. Jack smirked and stood by the captured Master Fung.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Clay finished the last of Jack's robots, the lights flickered and Katnappe suddenly stopped attacking Kimiko, snarling playfully.

"Would love to stay and play, but duty calls," Katnappe snickered. Then she threw cat litter bombs everywhere and packed away her cats.

Suddenly the air was filled with burnt cat litter, adding wooziness to Kimiko's exhaustion. She could hear Clay coughing and calling for her.

The world started spinning and her legs gave away; the exhaustion, fighting, and cat litter were finally getting to her. She could feel someone catching her but she couldn't see who it was. _Finally, some sleep... _she thought to herself, too exhausted to care about the world around her.

Kimiko! Are you alright? Kimiko... Kimi... ko...

* * *

_I... warned you..._

Kimiko's eyes shot open and she sat up, shocking Dojo who spilled tea all over her.

"Where's Wuya? And Bean? And-" Kimiko began, frantically shouting and ignoring the tea that had just spilled on her.

"Woah, calm down there kid," Dojo eased. Kimiko breathed in and out for a while until she calmed down. She looked around, wondering where she was; she was in the infirmary.

"Everyone's alright. Though some of the monks are a little upset over that garden you ruined..." Dojo stated calmly. Kimiko blushed, remembering her unpleasant landing.

Soon Master Fung came in with another cup of tea and a bowl of sweat pea soup. His steps were even and calm, though he seemed concerned. "Are you alright, Miss Kimiko?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "How are the Sheng Gong Wu?"

Master Fung visibly frowned. "I'm afraid most of them are gone. All we have left are the Changing Chopsticks and Monsoon Sandals. It seems they have stolen a lot more than they let on."

Kimiko sighed, disappointed. "I'm sorry, I should have-"

"-It's not your fault Kimiko. We all failed to guard the Sheng Gong Wu," Master Fung assured her. "Now rest, it seems you have been more exhausted than you had thought." He set the tray on a side table and walked out without another word. Dojo slithered out, but turned around and gave her a worried look.

"I'll be fine, Dojo," Kimiko told him, before he turned back around and exited.

_I... warned you..._

The words echoed in her head again. Then Kimiko remembered what the voice had told her this morning. Soon she was curious and tried to communicate with whoever it was.

_But, how did you know? And who are you? What are you doing inside my head?_

She waited for a moment, gripping the blanket uneasily. When she didn't get a response, she grew frantic again and started smacking the side of her head. After a while she calmed down, realizing it wasn't helping, and stopped.

"What's happening to me?" she muttered to herself, hoping for some sort of answer.

"Are you alright there, Kimiko?" Clay cut in. Clay and Omi had come to see her and had been standing in the doorway the entire time. Kimiko started blushing furiously.

"Uh... Yeah! Never better! I just had some hard earwax," Kimiko replied as cheerily as possible.

"Ok... We'll just come by later then." With that, Clay and Omi walked down the hallway, obviously concerned. Kimiko sighed and looked at a nearby clock. _11:05 a.m._

She groaned, lying down again. The butt pain reminded her about the Wudai Orion Formation. It should have worked. After all, they were all there, right? Then again, she was exhausted and didn't form the stance very well...

Kimiko grunted, also remembering the way the villains had been fighting with them. It was almost as if they were just toying around with the monks. Well, whatever they had planned, she knew she was going to try to stop it.

* * *

"You know what's going on with Kimiko?" Clay asked Omi. After the incident in the infirmary, Clay and Omi had gone out to the courtyard for training. They noticed Master Fung and a few monks meditating outside.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it's probably just one of those weird phases girls have," Omi replied, stretching his small arms and legs.

Clay sighed. "I guess so, little pardner."

Little did they know Hannibal Bean was nearby. The conversation didn't seem like much to Clay and Omi, but it was enough for him. He inwardly chuckled, plans swirling in his head.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed.

Sorry I didn't answer many questions, but they will be answered later, hopefully. ;)

Well, if the story does turn down I'll try to rewrite it.

I hope you enjoyed.

-Thanks


	3. Ch 2 & 3: Wind and Earth

**Yes, this is a double chapter.**

Hopefully I haven't rushed these two chapters, but at the same time I really wanted to speed things up because of how anxious you guys were. :D

And as always I can rewrite, even changing the angle of my story if necessary. It's just a pain in the butt for both the author and the reader.

_**-Thanks**_

* * *

**Seeing the Wind Arc 1: Discovery**

**Chapter 2: Feeling the Wind  
**

Clay and Omi had left the room, and Kimiko had gone to her room to change out of her tea stained robes. She was no longer as exhausted as she was, though a little sloppy in her gait. Once there she closed the curtain door and looked through her drawers. The fire girl grabbed a t-shirt and a skirt to change into. After she was done changing, she threw her robes into the laundry and headed for the bathroom to perform the routine she couldn't that morning, and soon Dojo called for dinner.

At dinner, Master Fung reminded them about their Shoku quests. He stood with his arms crossed in his sleeves as usual, firmly holding his gaze at their casual faces.

"Young monks, the attacks of this morning are of great concern, but you must not forget about your Shoku quests," he told them. Then he sighed and left the porch to go eat with his group of monks.

All three had forgotten about the quest after the attack that morning. Omi was still upset that he let Wuya get away, and Clay was still concerned for Kimiko. Kimiko felt bad for sleeping on the job, inwardly complaining about the stupid voice and weird memories. She glared down at her rice, almost expecting it to suddenly start singing Chinese riddles. She noticed Clay and Omi staring at her once again, and she huffed and ate some beans. After they stopped, she thought about telling the others about her problems. But should she?

She glanced nervously at each of them.

Clay was stuffing his face, but had a contemplative look in his eyes. Surely he would understand, right? As much of a Southern cowboy-kind-of-guy he was, he was actually pretty patient and understanding, occasionally offering good, friendly advice in his own way.

Omi was eating slowly, obviously disappointed but still trying to focus. He usually was slow to the catch and blatantly direct, but he always managed to pull through in the end.

She sighed. If these things had anything to do with the villains' schemes, then she figured she had to tell them.

"Uh... guys?" she asked, trying to get their attention. Clay stopped stuffing for a moment to listen, and Omi looked at her, failing to mask his disappointment. Kimiko paused, trying to think of a way to tell them. She knew she had to and that she needed their help. Sighing again, she tried to start her explanation, but all that came out was a low hum.

"Well?" Omi asked back, irritated from being distracted from his thoughts. Kimiko quickly changed her expression from anxious to happy.

"I'm glad you guys are my teammates," she improvised, trying to cheer them up. Omi and Clay looked at her funny, but smiled back. Omi went back to his thinking and Clay continued eating. Kimiko relaxed, hoping all of the sudden craziness would end, and grabbed her chopsticks.

* * *

The next morning she woke up at at 7:12 a.m. She had gone to bed earlier preparing for the invasive voice, but it wasn't there.

_Wow, _she thought, _I actually slept really well last night. And no creepy voice to wake me up!_

She still woke up a bit before her alarm, but maybe her life was finally going back to normal like she had hoped. She cheerfully sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling caught up on her sleep before turning off her alarm. She changed out of her pajamas and into some jeans and a t-shirt. Then she went to the bathroom and put on a fiery blue wig before she did her morning preparations.

When she finished using the bathroom, she saw Clay waiting outside with Omi following behind.

"Hello Kimiko, you seem better today," Clay said, noticing Kimiko's cheery mood and unsagging cheeks.

"Yes, you seem much better Kimiko. Your infectious good spirits are almost as infectious as mine," Omi stated, smiling. Kimiko giggled at Omi's usual boastfulness and smiled back.

Suddenly Kimiko remembered the time Omi had poured milk into Clay's hat. Clay had told her all about it at lunch the next day, and she was chuckling at Clay's luck when his father came in to see his son looking like a girl. But Omi hadn't done it on purpose of course, someone had told him to do it. Who was that again?

_Not again, _Kimiko thought, frustrated. It was another weird memory. She snapped herself out of her thoughts when Clay and Omi looked at her oddly. Smiling innocently, she walked down the hall to the kitchen to make breakfast. Grabbing plates, chopsticks, and cups she set the table.

Soon she was sitting down and eating her breakfast peacefully on the porch when eventually Clay and Omi showed up. They noticed the breakfast she had prepared and smiled, thanking her before sitting down on the floor and picking up their chopsticks.

"I see in your good spirits you have decided to follow the morning role of women," Omi pointed out happily.

Kimiko glared him down, and Omi backed down whimpering apologetically. Clay chuckled lightly and poured some tea into his cup. It seemed everything was normal again, with Kimiko's outrageous outfits and Omi's innocent little ways of irritating people.

* * *

Training hadn't gone very well that day. The team boulder climbing exercise was a disaster; it felt like someone was missing, making it much harder to climb. Plus, Kimiko seemed distracted by something.

"C'mon, Kimiko! Pull your weight already!" Clay yelled up at her, reaching his arm up to climb more.

"Alright, alright!" Kimiko yelled back.

She seemed to focus for a moment before blanking out again. Clay groaned and tried to keep going, but his arms were giving out. Omi was the one farthest ahead but was still having a hard time. Soon Clay's arms began shaking violently, and they gave away. He fell, and, bound by ropes, the others quickly fell too. The boulder smashed into the lake with the three monks all splashing in around it. Master Fung shook his head from atop the cliff, and Dojo was wondering why they couldn't do it anymore.

And later, as they sparred, Kimiko seemed distant again.

"Ostrich flip!" Omi yelled, bringing her thoughts back to the spar. He flipped up and extended his leg, and Kimiko barely stepped back in time. Omi landed swiftly in a stance and paused.

"Kimiko, are you alright? You are worse than usual," he stated, unintentionally offending Kimiko as usual.

"I'm fine," Kimiko stated blandly. In truth, she was having more and more weird memories pounding her brain much randomly than before. Someone stole the Serpent's Tail one time, and it was not Jack. Someone saved them from Pandabubba, and it was not Dojo. And someone had become Shoku warrior and leader of the team... And the fourth cubi-

"Leopard strike," was what Kimiko heard Omi yell. Startled, she tried to dodge but was still knocked into the ground. She got back up and tried an uppercut and a twirl, but Omi leaped up.

"Flying Hippo."

Kimiko stepped away as Omi struck from above and smashed into the ground. She didn't have much time to think as Omi bounced back and sent another kick forward. She blocked with her arms and Omi leaped off of her, landing a few feet in front of Kimiko.

"You seemed most prepared this morning. What happened?" Omi asked, as the fighting had paused.

"Nothing," Kimiko sighed, "I guess it's just that I'm not as well as I had thought. I think I'm gonna sit this one out." With that she tagged Clay in and sat down, trying to process everything.

Other than the occasional sound of grunts and collisions, it was pretty silent. After all, it was still an ancient Chinese temple filled with meditating monks. The wind blew softly, calming her throbbing head. She sat Indian style in the grass, breathing in and out, focusing on her problem.

_Voice... Hello?_

After no response, Kimiko tried again.

_If you're there, please respond._

No response again. Once again she breathed in and out and focused on relaxing things around the temple. The grass was always soft, lush, and green. Though her eyes were closed, she knew it was a pleasure to the eyes and gave off a fresh, crisp smell. She thought of the fountain that flowed near the garden she had smushed. It housed two now rather large goldfish and a pleasant, refreshing-

She was jolted by a thud as she hit the ground. She opened her eyes and noticed she was lying down.

_I'm trying to focus and relax, not fall asleep._

Sitting up again, she closed her eyes once again and calmed down without falling over. Kimiko then focused on the voice, but it seemed slightly blocked off. As hard as she tried, she couldn't get past whatever was blocking her and gave up, sighing and standing up. Clay and Omi had finished sparring, both sitting on the grass breathing roughly.

Kimiko watched as they rose and walked towards her. Master Fung had decided to go have some tea in his office and let them spar by themselves, leaving the three monks alone. They had concerned expressions on their faces.

"Kimiko... you haven't exactly been focusing lately. You alright?" asked Clay, standing beside her. Things had seemed normal that morning, but now that was only a glimpse of hope, and Kimiko was dragging them back to reality.

Kimiko's face looked contemplative, as if she really wanted to tell them something. She suddenly found the ladybug near Omi's foot really interesting.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just thinking about my Shoku quest," Kimiko replied blandly. Clay gave a look that told her he wasn't buying it, and Omi looked at Clay wondering what he thought.

"...And... about that fourth cubicle," Kimiko added, somewhat telling the truth. She was thinking about the mysterious memories and the appearance of the room before Omi had kicked her.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that," Clay replied. His anxiousness suddenly changed into excitement. "Let's go ask Master Fung if there is a new student."

Omi bounced up and down excitedly as usual, remembering the cubicle. He would be much happier if there was a fourth person, but not a fifth. No, five was too many. In his bouncing he didn't notice Clay and Kimiko walking across the courtyard to Master Fung's office and quickly ran to catch up.

* * *

"Master Fung," Omi piped up quickly, unable to wait, "Clay, Kimiko, and I have seen a fourth cubicle. Is there a new dragon-in-training coming?"

Master Fung looked surprised for a second, as he didn't seem to have noticed. He stared at the three Chosen Ones, and they stared back expectantly. He had been relaxing in his chair, leaning back and drinking tea while reading a scroll when suddenly they burst in with eager expressions.

Master Fung took another sip of his tea and laid the cup down.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, young monks. Now please leave, I have a lot of planning to do." With that he turned around and took another sip of tea, gazing out the window as usual.

The three monks were dumbstruck and disappointed. They had expected Master Fung to know something about it, but he didn't even know it was there.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about. Please go train now and work on your Shoku quests," Master Fung added, sensing they were still there. The three monks, too surprised to say anything, just left without a word.

* * *

"I guess..." Omi began pointing his index finger up, "...nothing." He let out a breath and looked at the other two hopefully. Right now they were all standing in the fourth cubicle investigating. Of course, it was still small, and Clay's large sweaty self was really starting to bother Omi and Kimiko.

Suddenly Clay had an idea. "Remember when Bean popped out of those trees like pus out of one of Cousin Carl's zits?" he asked. Kimiko and Omi both grunted in disgust.

"So did not need to know that, Clay," Kimiko replied, eyes twitching and mouth opened in a disgusted twist.

"Yes, that was most disturbing, my colorfully backgrounded friend," Omi added.

"Well, that's not the point," Clay huffed after being interrupted twice. "The point is, he probably has something to do with this."

Omi seemed to accept the idea quite willingly, nodding in approval. But Kimiko put her hands on her hips, not buying it.

"But why?" she asked. Clay rubbed his chin and looked up into his hat.

"I don't know, but knowing Bean, I wouldn't be standing in it."

He and the other two monks scrambled out of the cubicle but got stuck in the doorway. After some more pushing and tugging they all burst out of the doorway and landed in a jumbled heap on the floor with Clay on top. He removed his robust body from the two smaller monks and helped them up. Kimiko was rubbing her back while Omi was massaging his face.

"Ugh, I swear. That bean is one of the most frustrating things to be around. You think you can squash him like Plankton, but then he pulls something else out of that bald noggin of his," Kimiko groaned.

Clay chuckled, heading for the bathroom now that the excitement was over. Omi grinned at Kimiko cheerily and went out to the courtyard by a tree. He sat upside down and meditated on his quest in the setting scenery, leaving Kimiko alone in the cubicle hallway.

She breathed out in relief and went to grab her PDA when suddenly she felt a large jolt. Kimiko started screaming and clutching her head. Her body collapsed on to the floor and she scrunched her body together, burying her head into her knees tightly.

"_HELP ME!_" she screamed, her voice sounding much coarser than usual. She shut her eyes and tried to stop shaking, but the feeling was uncontrollable. Her head was throbbing, and soon she couldn't tell whether it was her head or Clay's footsteps pounding against the floor.

"Kimiko, Kimiko!" Clay yelled. Omi ran down the hall from the courtyard rubbing his head, having fallen over at her scream.

"What's happening?" Omi asked, seeing Kimiko shaking on the floor in pain. Clay was kneeling by her side and trying to hold her still with his arms, hoping it would stop somehow. After a moment or so she stopped throbbing about on the floor and opened her eyes. Tears were streaming out of them, and before Clay or Omi knew it, she got up and ran to her room, closing the curtain door. But Clay easily swiped the curtain door open, and she tried to close it again. _Stupid curtain doors... _Kimiko complained inwardly.

Soon Master Fung came in with Dojo on his shoulders, anxiety obvious in his eyes. He noticed Omi distraught, not entirely understanding what had just happened, and Clay and Kimiko were tugging on her curtain door.

"Stop," Master Fung ordered calmly. Clay and Kimiko noticed him and stopped, both walking to the front of Master Fung with Omi in tow. "Now tell me what happened."

After Clay explained what had happened to Master Fung, Master Fung had told them to be cautious with Kimiko, and for Kimiko to get some rest. Hopefully she would be better in the morning. He and Dojo went back to his office, apparently to ponder the events that had happened.

As Master Fung's steps echoed away, Kimiko ran to her room again and shut the curtain. Clay looked at her room and sighed.

"I'm sure she will be alright like Master Fung said. Do not worry my big friend," Omi told Clay, trying to cheer him up. They were heading back out to the courtyard to train, but Clay paused and looked back at Kimiko's room again. He shook his head and continued walking outside where the sun was setting.

...

Little did they know, Kimiko was in her room concentrating fiercely on her problems, trying to piece things together. The odd memories kept occurring because their was something missing. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed none of those memories fit without whatever it was.

Or rather, _whoever_ it was.

She paused once again, suddenly struck by inspiration and thinking about the fourth cubicle.

_So what if there was another Chosen One? ...A fourth dragon..._

But what other dragon could there be? Kimiko thought about what she knew about the dragons.

It all started with Dashi, the first dragon, and the dragon of the-

_Wind... Why didn't I think of that earlier?_

Kimiko grinned to herself, glad things were starting to make sense. Of course! There had to be a dragon of the wind out there somewhere. But why didn't anyone seem to notice?

Then she thought about the incident that had just occurred in the hall because something had overwhelmed her, making her scream for help. But it wasn't her who needed help.

_It came from that voice, I could feel it._

Now determined, she sat down in the middle of her room and began to focus like she did earlier during sparring. The fire warrior breathed in and out, concentrating on the voice. The feeling was coming back, and Kimiko grew excited, when suddenly she felt a jolt once again, as if she had hit a wall. Kimiko fell back in surprise and rubbed her aching head.

"Ow..." she moaned. Kimiko had been completely blocked off. It seemed the voice would no longer be helping her. Lying in the middle of the room, Kimiko gazed up at the ceiling, an idea sparking in her head. She knew what her Shoku quest was going to be.

_I'm going to save the dragon of the wind._

She sat up and gazed hopefully at the wall in front of her.

_I might not be able to see him, but I can feel him._

_**Seeing the Wind**_

_**

* * *

**_

A little cheesy, but it will have to do for now.

And now...

* * *

**Chapter 3: Earth's History  
**

The week had been pretty relaxing when it came to finding Sheng Gong Wu. None had really activated that week, much to the three monks pleasure. With all of the craziness going on in the temple, they needed a break.

However, after Kimiko's spasm, Clay and Omi kept tighter watch on her, much to Kimiko's annoyance. She seldom had time to herself anymore no matter how hard she tried. She sighed in her room, e-mailing Keiko about girl stuff; it seemed Keiko was really having a great time in Tokyo. At least she was happy.

"Clay, I know you're there," Kimiko spoke for possibly the fifth time. He grunted and lifted his ear from the wall on the outside of her room.

"Sorry Kimiko. It's just that I'm-"

"Really worried. Uhuh, I know," Kimiko interrupted, irritation obvious in her tone. Clay sighed and went outside to train with Omi again. Kimiko had no idea why he cared so much. I mean sure most anyone would probably be concerned about her well being after everything that had happened, but Clay was becoming overprotective.

* * *

Later that evening at dinner, Clay was eating much slower than usual. Every so often he would glance at Kimiko and then look away, taking another bite. Omi was trying not to express concern, but failing as usual. Kimiko was "touched" that they cared about her so much, but this was really bothering her. She really wanted to get them off her back so she could investigate the case of the missing dragon.

Suddenly she thought about telling them again, and grew anxious. Maybe that would get them off of her back, or better, get them to help. But what would they think? What if things somehow got worse?

Kimiko really wanted to trust the other Chosen Ones, and knew they trusted her pretty well. It was now or never. Well, not really, but she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Guys, I have to tell you something," she said, once again getting their attention like the night before. They both looked at her with as much sympathy as they could muster, making Kimiko guilty for not telling them sooner. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, and I really hope you two understand, but-"

"Just hurry up and tell us already," Clay spoke, eager to hear her concerns.

"...Well, it has to do why I've been acting weird the past few days," Kimiko added. She paused again, knowing that she couldn't go back. Clay's eyes filled to the brim with anticipation, having been the most concerned. He had seen her acting oddly the most. Omi still seemed a bit perplexed as to what she was talking about, but she began anyway.

She told them about the mysterious voice and all of the odd memories, about its warning before the attack, and about it overwhelming her and screaming for help before disappearing completely. Then she explained to them how everything seemed to add up to a fourth dragon, the dragon of the wind. Omi was still a little confused, but seemed to brighten up at the mention of the fourth dragon. Clay seemed mixed on something.

"Let's go ask Master Fung about this fourth dragon again," Clay suggested blankly. He looked like he was on the edge of something, but Kimiko couldn't quite tell what. Without another word they finished dinner and headed to Master Fung's office. He was leaning back in his chair pondering something as always when he noticed the monks walk in and spun around to greet them. He noticed their mixed expressions and prepared for whatever concern they had.

"Hello, young monks. You all seem concerned. What seems to be the matter?" he asked them. Clay explained Kimiko's idea.

"It's about that fourth dragon again. Kimiko says it makes sense that there would be a fourth dragon, the dragon of the wind, like Dashi."

Master Fung gazed at each of them sternly. "But the other monks and I have not sensed a disturbance in the balance of things. Times have changed, and so has good and evil. Perhaps there no longer was a need for a dragon of the wind," he answered, cocking an eyebrow.

"I guess that would explain the fourth cubicle," Omi added, slightly disappointed but satisfied by the answer.

_That doesn't explain why we never noticed it before, _Kimiko thought, unsatisfied, and was about to say it when suddenly Clay left the room with a distressed expression on his face.

"These all are very interesting questions, but I'm afraid that I do not know the answers to them now. Maybe time will tell, young monks. I will be in here meditating on it. Feel free to come to me with any other concerns," Master Fung told them before dismissing them. Omi gave one last wondering look to both Master Fung and Kimiko before leaving to go train again. Master Fung turned back around and looked at a star through his window. Kimiko sighed, disappointed at not getting any answers, and went to go check on Clay. Eventually she found him out in the courtyard.

He was sitting by a tree away from the training grounds staring hard at the ground. Kimiko guessed this was where he usually went to think alone. The spot was near a fountain with shiny, moon-like fish that gave off a calm, even feeling of thought. The moon shone right on him, and crickets chirped lightly in some grass nearby. As Kimiko walked up to him he looked up at her and sighed. He had taken his hat off and set it beside him on the grass, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his thighs.

Kimiko had always known Clay to be the gentle giant of the group. He was like their older brother who was always there to comfort them, but now he was in need of comfort himself. She sat down beside him in the same style and took a deep breath.

"This is a really serene spot, Clay. It's no wonder why you come here to think," Kimiko spoke up. Clay looked at her and tried to smile, but couldn't. His eyes fell down to the grass again and he sighed once more.

"Yea," was all he replied.

Kimiko didn't really know what to do. She didn't think she was very good at this sort of thing; she didn't have the patience. But now was important, so she was going to worry about her problems later and see what was bothering Clay so much.

"What's bugging you, Clay?" she asked rather directly. Clay took a deep breath and hesitated. He didn't want her to be worrying about him, because he was supposed to worry about her. But Kimiko had determination in her eyes, and Clay knew she wouldn't stop until she got an answer. He exhaled softly.

"Remember Aunt Jessie? The one I always joke about?" He paused and gave her a serious look.

"Yeah, the crazy one," she answered knowingly. Clay looked away and clutched some grass in one of his hands.

"She used to be one of the loveliest ladies I had ever known until I was 5... She was going to be a zoologist, a great one. Best in her class. She was so determined, one of the reasons I loved her so much..." Clay paused, remembering the good times he had with his aunt, though a hint of bitterness as he said the last part. Kimiko was a little surprised that his aunt used to be sane, or even smart. Clay always made her sound like she had been raised by imaginary chickens when he told them stories or made jokes.

Clay was hesitant about continuing. He hated speaking like this; telling sob stories was not something he did often, or wanted to do often, but Kimiko stared at him expectantly. Sighing again, he continued.

"She started having spasms and hearing voices, like you." Kimiko's eyes widened. No wonder Clay was so distressed.

"Well... Eventually she was under the delusion that her nonexistent son had disappeared. She told us that he was communicating to her through her mind... Trying to get him to rescue her..." At this point, Clay had started squeezing the grass harder. He looked straight into Kimiko's eyes, making sure she heard everything he had to say.

"Needless to say, everyone thought she was crazier than a chicken chasing a lawn mower. She would fight with chickens, sleep with the pigs, ride cows and throw dung at trees, you name it... But that wasn't the worst part... She started going on crazy adventures, sneaking out at midnight, and coming back beat up all over. Four years she wasted trying to find this guy. Four years I had to sit back and watch her lose her mind, becoming a frail ghost of what she used to be." Clay paused again to wipe a tear from his eye. By now Kimiko was averting her gaze, looking at a nearby grasshopper.

"...Then suddenly she seemed to have returned to normal. She gave me my first cowboy hat for my ninth birthday and planned to travel around the world to visit various habitats." Clay's eyes suddenly filled with disappointment.

"Instead she went to search for her son around the world and wasted all of the money she had saved up from her part time jobs. She returned two years later, constantly muttering gibberish under her breath and crying herself to sleep each night... Until she finally snapped." Kimiko hated the expression of hurt in Clay's eyes. She was expecting something bad, but not as bad as this.

"She kidnapped me and hid me away, demanding money so that she could search for and rescue her son. She actually held me ransom against our own family, desperately trying to get her imaginary son back." His eyes closed as he remembered being betrayed.

"It had been a few hours when my family found me. We kicked her off the ranch and sent her to an asylum. A few months later, before she died of some disease, her sense suddenly returned, and she told us how sorry she was for causing everyone so much trouble. She smiled for the first time in six years and told me she was sorry for hurting me the most... Then she died and we buried her. I was left with an empty feeling, completely numb... And she became the center of jokes." He looked away, finished with his story. Up until now, Kimiko had thought Clay lived a simple farm life with his large, cozy family. Thinking back on some of his jokes, she realized she had been wrong. Clay used some of his relatives often in metaphors and the such, but obviously he never really showed how things were with his relatives underneath them.

"I don't want you to become like Aunt Jessie, Kimiko. Please..." was the last thing he muttered. He put a hand on Kimiko's shoulder and wiped more tears from his face before standing up. He gave Kimiko one last look before grabbing his hat and heading inside, leaving Kimiko to her thoughts.

Was she going to end up like Aunt Jessie?

_No... this is different. I know it is._

Kimiko gazed desperately at the moon, hoping somehow it would answer her many problems. Soon she gave up and also went inside, bidding farewell to the moon fish.

* * *

Kimiko sighed as she prepared for another night of sleep. Things were only getting crazier, and the fire girl had no idea what to do.

She set her alarm and laid down, tucking herself in. She was finally glad she could take a break from it all and just go to sleep against her nice soft pillow. She whispered good night to her old teddy bear Ninja Fred and hugged him tightly as her consciousness faded.

* * *

Yes, this whole thing is enormous. And yes, I'm afraid Raimundo won't be coming in quite yet. After all, it's only the first 3 chapters. :S

But do expect big plot points next chapter. :D

Just a side note, writing the sad part was pretty hard. Sorry if I ruined it, but I had a change in plans when I remembered I was trying to keep the story K+.

**Next time, the journey begins.**

**I hope you enjoyed.**

**Don't forget to read and review, but thanks to all of my reviewers... and readers.  
**


	4. Chapter 4: Day and Night

Hey guys. Sorry it took longer than usual, but I had some trouble writing, schoolwork, etc.

**By ****the way: You can check out story progress at my profile and I've enabled anonymous reviews, which I forgot to do. :)**

**And thus Arc 1 ends. Have a great day, and please read and review.  
**

* * *

**Seeing the Wind Arc 1: The Journey**

**Chapter 4: Day and Night  
**

Kimiko's jade eyes popped open as she woke up suddenly, though there was no voice. The fire warrior yawned and glanced at her clock. _11:03 p.m._

She grunted and turned away from the clock, hugging her teddy bear snugly and closing her eyes, but it wasn't long before she grew uncomfortable in that position. She moved, only to grow more uncomfortable.

Kimiko sighed, trying to relax, but something was keeping her up. After more tossing and turning, Kimiko sat up and glanced at the clock. _11:14 p.m._

The fire girl grunted, sitting up and wondering why she couldn't go to sleep. She rubbed her eyes and noticed something emitting from her teddy bear.

She raised Ninja Fred up to the front of her gaze and stared at it profusely. Its fur was a little rough, and there were a few scratches on it; it seemed pretty old. But it was your classic teddy bear, black buttoned eyes and everything, except this doll was giving her a weird feeling, which reminded her of-

_The voice?... Wait a second, when did I get this doll? And how do I know its name?  
_

Her eyes widened and she gasped as realization dawned on her. This was _his_ doll, and it had appeared from nearly nowhere. In her tired distress she had barely noticed it when she had gone to sleep.

She wanted to scream in shock, but quickly decided against it. Kimiko didn't want to alert the others just yet.

Instead, she focused on the feeling, her hands shaking as she held the bear. The feeling intensified slightly, until she realized that it was leading her somewhere.

Kimiko rose silently, tiredly holding the bear, silently thinking about what to do.

_This is really crazy... but I have to follow it. _she thought, sighing. It wasn't like she could go back to sleep now.

_I guess I'll gather a little chi just in case..._

She closed her eyes and focused, gathering chi until she was satisfied. Then she left her room, still in her pajamas, and looked towards the two other dragon-in-trainings' rooms. She could hear Clay grumbling in his sleep, and she thought about waking them up. But, would they believe her? And Clay...

Kimiko sighed and decided to do this on her own. She would just have to be extra careful.

Though an unprepared mess, she managed to slip through the hallway unnoticed, heading outside and following the feeling while hugging the teddy bear closely. As she came outside, the moon shined on her, waking her up a little bit more.

_I can't believe I'm doing this._ she thought to herself, questioning her actions again. But the splash of dim light still wasn't enough to change her mind, so she continued anyway.

Until once again she couldn't help but feel the serene feeling of the night. Soon Kimiko fell over into the soft grass, eyes closed and ready for a night of peaceful rest.

The bear urged her forward, and soon she found herself walking steadily through the courtyard scratching her head and yawning. Hopefully this could all be over, and she could finally rest... but maybe she would wake up earlier sometimes and have tea with Master Fung on the porch...

"Kimiko?"

Kimiko turned around startled, hiding the doll in a nearby bush. She sloppily prepared her fighting stance and narrowed her eyes.

It was Clay.

"C-Clay? What are you doing up this late?" Kimiko asked, stunned, though still very tired.

"Might I ask you the same thing li'l miss?" Clay replied, approaching her. He was still in his pajama robes but was wearing his hat as usual.

"Uh... Well I went out for a stroll around the courtyard. I was having trouble getting to sleep." She smiled nervously and looked at Clay, hoping he would buy it. Clay rubbed an eye and thought silently.

"Well you and me both... I was heading out to my thinking spot," he eventually replied with a yawn. They both stood silently, tension rising.

"I'm just gonna go ahead to my spot then... Have a good night, Kimiko," Clay told her, breaking the silence and walking towards his spot in the courtyard. Kimiko watched him walk away, and when she felt he was a good distance away, she took out the doll. She let out a breath of relief and continued her search.

Eventually she found her way to the entrance gate. Though she didn't want to leave the temple, the bear continued to urge her forward. She sighed and continued slowly to the gate, her heart pounding with each step, until she noticed a figure in the distance. It stood in the middle of the dirt path that lead to the gate, facing the temple, and was just close enough to run to, but far enough to darken its details.

Kimiko looked at Ninja Fred and then back to the figure. Was this it? Was the mystery finally over?_  
_

In her tired, desperate, thoughtlessness, she dropped the doll and ran to the figure excitedly. The dirt scratched against her bare feet as a calming breeze blew her from the side. Her heart felt like it would explode, pounding harder and harder.

But as she neared, her heart dropped.

It was Clay, staring at her with a hurt expression in his eyes. Kimiko nearly fell back from surprise. Before she could utter an explanation, Clay spoke.

"Kimiko... you were searching for him weren't you?" Clay gazed at her sternly, expecting some sort of response. Kimiko looked down sheepishly.

"I should've known," he muttered loudly enough for Kimiko to hear.

"But... How-?"

"My aunt gave me that same look... but I believed her that time. I walked over here instead, just in case," he interrupted. Clay seemed distraught, which bothered Kimiko.

"Clay... Are you alright?" Kimiko asked nervously. Clay averted his gaze and turned his head away.

"The reason why I was up was because I kept having nightmares about my aunt..." Clay mumbled lowly, though Kimiko heard him.

"Clay, I'm nothing like your aunt! Why can't you just trust me?" Kimiko snapped a little harshly, influenced by her crankiness. She felt bad for jabbing at him like that, but he needed to trust her. Clay shook his head and sighed.

"You don't think I trusted her?" he replied darkly in return. Kimiko was taken aback by Clay's reaction. There was a momentary silence, with Clay averting his eyes again and Kimiko speechless.

* * *

Though Kimiko was tired, she definitely was not as sleep deprived as earlier that week. She turned around and headed to the entrance gate.

Clay was a little confused, not knowing what to expect. He watched her carefully from where he was, sighing in relief. Maybe it was over, maybe Kimiko would be alright, and eventually him...

But to his disappointment, he saw Kimiko grab something off of the floor and run off towards his left. Clay quickly regained his bearings and ran towards her. He leaped into the air slightly.

"Seismic kick, EARTH!"

He sent a mini-quake her way, successfully tripping her.

Kimiko quickly got up, though surprised at Clay. He had actually attacked her, not to mention she was a girl. But right now wasn't the time to care. All she had to do was run off into the forest ahead of her and lose Clay... They were both tired, but Kimiko was definitely more agile than Clay.

Clay smashed his fist into the ground and sent another attack her way.

"Wudai Crater, Earth!"

A wall of earth rose in front of Kimiko, but Kimiko quickly retaliated.

"Judolette Flip, Fire!"

She flipped high above the wall and fire spiraled around her as she flipped. She aimed her flip downwards towards Clay, and fire surrounded Clay in a circle. Once she landed she continued towards the forest with teddy bear in hand. Her bare feet pounded against the grass and dirt beneath her, but she was still determined. Soon Clay smothered the fire around him with earth and continued towards Kimiko.

"Wudai Crater, Earth!"

He kicked a chunk of earth out of the ground and stepped forward, preparing to kick with his other foot.

"Seismic kick!"

He smashed it towards Kimiko, shocking both Kimiko and himself further. An attack like that could end her up with a two week stay at the infirmary. He stared wide eyed at the attack in regret, but it was already too close to Kimiko.

"Wudai Neptune, Water!"

A wave of water blasted into it and knocked it to the side. Soon Omi ran up towards the scene.

"Clay! Why are you and Kimiko fighting?"

Clay just stood panting, shocked, horrified, and disturbed. Kimiko took the chance to dash into the forest. Omi looked towards the direction Kimiko had run and back to Clay.

"Has Kimiko turned to the dark side?" Omi asked in dismay. Clay looked at Omi sadly and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it's a lot worse, li'l pardner," Clay replied after gathering himself. He started walking back towards the temple, hoping Kimiko would be safe, but knowing she would return. Omi followed silently, confused. He decided he would just ask about it later, when Clay wasn't as frantic.

* * *

Kimiko rushed through the forest, occasionally tripping over a root, but not looking back. Now and again she would hear hissing or hooting, and she felt like she was being watched, which was never a good sign.

She knew she was going to have to return to the temple sometime and explain; it wasn't like she could survive very well in the wilderness in her state. But for now, all she had was her, what she was wearing, and a teddy bear that would hopefully guide her somewhere. As crazy as it all was, she knew that out there was someone who needed to be rescued, and she would be the one to do it. After all, she still had a Shoku quest to finish, right?

Kimiko chuckled bitterly. After this mess, she would be lucky to even stay at the temple.

Stray shadows recklessly rushed all over the forest with harsh whispers as she ran. Kimiko glanced around warily. The forests around the temple weren't usually this ominous, not even at night. Kimiko put up her guard and ran faster. Her feet were scratched up and bruised, but still in running condition. The feeling was leading her right up ahead. Whispers echoed in and out of her ears. Almost there...

The urging suddenly stopped and the air grew eerily silent. Kimiko looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Trees, bushes, animals, shadows...

Suddenly she stepped on something hard and almost shrieked. The fire girl quickly lifted her foot.

It was a golden, shiny medallion.

She grabbed it and felt more of the feeling emanating off of it. It seemed the teddy bear had led her to this. She leaned back on a tree and panted, the adventure over for now.

Kimiko sighed and thought about what she would do now. She now had two odd objects: the teddy bear and the medallion.

Would that be enough to help her? Would the others feel him too with these objects?

Either way, she would have to return to the temple at some point. The fire girl looked around for the way back. Everywhere was trees, plants, grass, trees, animals, shadows, dirt...

Her eyes widened and she started panicking.

She was lost.

"Oh no no no... I can't be lost! Not now!" Kimiko muttered to herself. She frantically started walking around, searching for a way.

But before she could panic any farther, she heard Master Fung's voice. _Focus, young monk... Clear the storm in your mind... _echoed Master Fung's voice in her head. She breathed in and out and began to concentrate.

Surely she couldn't be too far from the temple. She had only run for about an hour through the forest. Relaxing, she looked up. It was hard to see the clear night sky with all of the trees in the way...

Suddenly an idea hatched in her head.

She climbed to the top of the forest canopy and looked around._ There._

Towards her right was the temple, and not too far out of sight.

She smiled, satisfied, and climbed down onto some branches and yawned. Laying back on the branches, Kimiko hugged the two objects and her eyes gently closed. Her body was finally giving in to the night. Maybe she could get back later...

* * *

A harsh hit sent Kimiko falling out of the tree, her landing sprawled out on her stomach. The two objects were still hugged in her arms, however. The girl woke up startled and bruised, groaning as she rose. Her eyes opened and scanned the surroundings as she put the medallion around her neck.

"Heh heh heh... What are you doing out here sleeping all alone? A pretty face like yours could get really dirty down here," Wuya spat from behind Kimiko. Startled, Kimiko quickly turned to face her.

"Nevermind, your face wasn't the pretty to begin with," Wuya chuckled, noticing how much of a mess the fire girl was. "Perhaps you need to catch up on some beauty sleep again," the witch taunted. Kimiko's anger grew, and her hands started burning on fire, though one arm was hugging Ninja Fred.

"Ugh... Is she always going to be this ugly? Last time I could barely look at her while we fought," Kimiko heard someone purr from her right. Katnappe walked up with her claws sharpened. Kimiko turned once again to face the two.

"What do you two want?" Kimiko snarled back. The two villains looked at each other and then back to Kimiko.

Without an answer, Katnappe charged at Kimiko. She swiped up, but Kimiko dodged to the side and countered with her empty arm. Her fiery fist missed as Katnappe leaped back and threw one of her kittens at Kimiko's face. The fire girl ducked, but Wuya sped in and kicked her from below, sending Kimiko flying above the forest canopy. Kimiko quickly regained her bearings and flipped through the air onto a tree branch only to find Wuya on the branch. Wuya sent another kick that sent Kimiko backwards. Kimiko slammed into a tree behind her and staggered into a kneeling position. Soon Wuya and Katnappe were in front of her.

"Is that all you've got?" Wuya taunted. Kimiko glared viciously and started gathering more chi.

Soon Katnappe's three super kittens leaped out at her. Left, right, down... Kimiko dodged each swipe successfully, but then Katnappe sneaked in and delivered a slash from behind. Kimiko jumped out of the way, but got scratched mildly on her back. Kimiko winced at the pain, but continued to gather chi.

_I only have one shot..._

Wuya caught Kimiko in midair and started delivering a series of quick blows. Unfortunately, Kimiko was only able to block a few, and the encounter ended with bruises all over Kimiko's arms and torso, but the fire girl managed to land on her feet.

But what was worse was that it seemed they were holding back. With the two of them, it should've been easy to beat up the fire warrior.

Kimiko grunted and continued gathering chi. She rolled over as another cat came her way, but Katnappe sent a sharp kick that caught her on the shoulder. It wasn't long before Wuya came in with a follow up punch that sent Kimiko falling backwards into the ground with a black eye. Kimiko regained her breath and panted on the ground. She shakily rose and finished gathering her chi.

"Wudai mars, FIRE!"

Her body was engulfed in a fiery aura, burning the air around her, but not her, her clothes, or the two objects. The two villains stepped back in surprise but quickly went back to their mischievous poses.

This was one of her newer attacks that she had had trouble with. It was definitely a chi drainer, and she had not practiced it in days since the mysterious voice.

Lucky her.

It looked like she was going to have to learn things the hard way. Sometimes learning things the hard way was a good way to learn, though she definitely did not like it. She briefly remembered the attack of the giant fire squirrels. Poor Omi. That was when she had gained her Wudai powers, along with Clay, Omi, and...

_Not right now,_ she decided sternly. Kimiko grunted, and threw all of her strength into the attack.

"Judolette Rush, FIRE!"

She aimed in the direction of the temple and took off, fire swirling all around her. The attack had launched her in a fiery burst, startling both villains. Kimiko smirked in satisfaction as she rushed away from them, dodging trees, bushes, and other forest scenery in her way.

She felt confident, until a catdisk came flying her way. She moved to her right, dodging it. Glancing towards her left she saw Katnappe flying through the forest on a jetpack aiming catdisks at her and grinning mischievously. And soon Wuya joined in, running with her super speed on Kimiko's right, causing a grunt of dismay from Kimiko.

Katnappe began shooting catdisks, causing a series of flips and other evasive maneuvers from Kimiko. But soon Wuya rushed in with a kick that nearly tripped her. Kimiko flipped over it but a catdisk scratched the side of her face as she was in midair. After the flip, Kimiko continued, though wincing at the new cut across her face.

But soon Kimiko saw a light. She was reaching the end of the forest! With a final burst of speed, she dodged another attack from Wuya and more disks from Katnappe. The light grew closer, encompassing her vision as her eyes were still adjusting. Almost there...

Out of the forest popped a fiery Kimiko, bruised, cut, and an even greater mess than she was before. Burnt leaves were scattered all over her hair, and her pajama robes were tattered. But she still had the medallion around her neck and the teddy bear.

Her rush was starting to flicker, and Kimiko knew her attack was giving out. Once it did, she would probably collapse from exhaustion.

She gave her final burst of strength into the dash and zoomed into the temple gate. She looked behind her and noticed Wuya and Katnappe were gone. She breathed out in relief as her fiery aura sputtered. And lucky for her, the sun was risen as well as the monks.

She headed for the dining porch, cutting through gardens recklessly, burning some of the vegetables and flowers. She didn't care. Right now, all of her hope rested in these two objects. As she neared the porch, she saw Master Fung announcing something to Clay and Omi, who were both eating breakfast sullenly.

Soon Clay noticed her and pointed her out in astonishment. Omi and Master Fung turned to look at her with shocked expressions. Kimiko grinned weakly and her rush finally gave out. The fire sputtered out, and soon Kimiko fell forward onto the porch, releasing the teddy bear in her arms. She quickly removed the medallion from her neck and rested it beside the teddy bear. She laid sprawled out on her stomach once more, looking up at them desperately.

Master Fung walked to the front of Kimiko, and Clay and Omi walked up to his sides, Clay on his right and Omi on his left. She gave them each a weary smile.

Before them laid Kimiko, with cuts, bruises, and burnt leaves all over her body. She had a black eye, her hair was tangled and filled with burnt leaves and twigs. Her robes were tattered, exposing scratch marks all over her back.

A tear escaped Clay's eyes and he looked away. Master Fung gazed at the objects in front of them and changed his expression from shocked to confused. Omi looked at the objects, back to Kimiko, and finally closed his eyes as he looked downward.

Kimiko wasn't sure what to expect, but it was anything but this.

Out in front of her laid Omi's Ancient Guide to Females and Dojo's fake family yoyo.

Tears streamed down her face as she realized what the objects she had thrown in front of them were. She was shocked beyond belief. How did-? When-?

It didn't matter. She realized quickly how stupid she had been.

How could she have thought that the journey would solve anything?

How could she have thought everything would work out for her in the end?

And finally, her consciousness was giving out. Her vision slowly gave out from outside, slowly circling in on Master Fung's face. He gave her a firm gaze that masked disappointment. He closed his eyes in thought, and she heard muffled footsteps leaving the porch on both sides.

But as her vision darkened, Master Fung's face remained. He masked disappointment, but beyond that it seemed he was masking something else. Kimiko curiously used the last of her energy to discreetly peer at his face a little longer.

As soon as Master Fung thought no one was looking, his mouth turned upward into a crooked smirk, and he glared downward at Kimiko.

_Hannibal Bean..._

Her consciousness finally gave out. Kimiko's face fell, beaten, broken, and disappointed.

_

* * *

_I may rewrite this do to the fact that editing was rushed slightly. Sorry. :L

I'm also thinking about finding a beta reader... except I'm not quite sure how that works.

**Thanks. _Please read and review and check out the poll at my profile._**


	5. Chapter 5: Calm Before the Storm

Well it's been a while... Time to try to finish this. I've finally gotten some more time on my hands and a planned plot line.

I don't really have much of an excuse except college preparation stuff... so yeah.

Hope you enjoy anyway :)

* * *

"_Hmph, you've gathered us all to use that? How did you even find-"_

"_This young man helped me find it. He doesn't talk much, won't even tell me his name, and he won't take off that hood of his-"_

"_-And if he is reborn? We will all be mere maggots at his feet-"_

"_Hush now, desperate times call for desperate measures. After losing all our sheng gong wu-"_

"_Hey, I still have the monkey staff!"_

"_-except for one, I figured we could use the help, that's all."_

"…_It seems that I have no way of stopping you do I?"_

* * *

Kimiko's eyes slowly blurred into focus.

"Ehh…?" she moaned.

The fire girl had once again ended up broken in the temple infirmary. This time sore all over with cuts, burns, bruises, and a broken rib. She wanted to lean up on her elbows, but quickly winced in pain. Everywhere hurt or stung; even breathing hurt a little.

It wasn't long before Dojo came in to check on her again.

"Guys look! Kimiko's awake!" He quickly slithered back out of the room to get them.

"W-wait. How long have I been out?"

Dojo turned back for a moment with a sympathetic expression before continuing out. "A week and a half."

A week and a half? She did not expect to wear her body out this badly.

Her thoughts turned to Clay and Omi as she heard quickly paced footsteps coming down the hall. She nearly groaned, not wanting to deal with everything at once.

"Kimiko! Kimiko, are you alright!?" Clay nearly yelled, being first into the room with Dojo and Omi right behind.

"Ye-yeah. I'm fine."

Everyone remained silent for a time, not knowing what to say.

"If it's alright… I'd like to be alone for a while. Everything hurts, and talking doesn't really help."

They seemed a little hurt. After all, they had been waiting for her to recover only to be turned away. The fire girl felt a little guilty as they left, but soon brushed away her guilt to consider everything that had happened.

She followed the teddy bear to his medal and fallen asleep in a tree. Then Wuya came in and knocked her awake, accompanied by Katnappe. When she made it back to the temple, somehow her objects had been switched. Well, considering the stolen sheng gong wu, switching the objects would have been a cinch. The whole thing, had it been planned? And why were the Heylin so confident and coordinated lately?

Kimiko sighed, choosing to stare at the ceiling for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Later outside, Clay and Omi were sparring as Dojo came up to them.

"Guys, I know it's been tough, but there's a new sheng gong wu."

At the mention of sheng gong wu both monks sunk a little. Without Kimiko there was little hope that they could beat the Heylin. Then again, even with Kimiko, with the way the Heylin had been lately, they seemed to stand little chance. It was hard to keep going, but they knew that they couldn't quit.

Clay's eyes once again began to roam across the temple courtyard. They followed the path of Kimiko's fiery return, which was still noticeable in some of the gardens and grass.

Dojo continued even though the monks didn't answer. "It's the Shard of Shi. Hmm, interesting. This sheng gong wu allows the user to find something that he or she has lost."

Receiving silence once again, Dojo enlarged as Clay solemnly hopped on followed by Omi.

* * *

A few days passed and Kimiko was on her feet again. Her cracked rib was still causing a little pain, but it was unlikely she would face any complications. The monk who worked in the infirmary told her it would heal fully in another two weeks, and to avoid physical strain until then. Though she was unable to train physically, she could still meditate and do chi exercises.

She hadn't talked to Clay and Omi during the past few days except for a few "thank you"'s and "excuse me"'s. There hadn't been a sheng gong wu for the past few days except for the Shard of Shi, which was lost to the Heylin after a brief fight. The atmosphere of the temple had become more anxious, as it seemed that the newly coordinated Heylin were just playing with them and could ruin the temple at any moment.

Kimiko continued to wonder about the Heylin. Even being so united, did the dragon warriors really not stand a chance against them?

Overall she was lost. Her leads to the dragon of the wind disappeared, and she felt little connection to him. Things with Clay and Omi were just plain awkward, and then of course, there was Master Fung. That creepy little smirk was unmistakably similar to Hannibal Bean's. Honestly it wasn't much to run on, but it certainly did not make her feel comfortable.

After another chi exercise, Kimiko decided to walk to the pond toward the east of the temple. In it were a few minnows and lily pads. A small ornate stone bridge arched across the pond. Kimiko sat nearby on a small bench, gazing into the water. She heaved a sigh, growing restless waiting for something to happen, when suddenly a black feather landed in the water. She stared at it for a few moments before her eyes grew in panic. She quickly rose and yelled for help when a hand grabbed her mouth.

"W-mmf-ai Mfrs Fmmf-re!" she spoke, muffled. A small burst of flames erupted from her body, but her assailant quickly responded by letting go and jumping back before being burned. Kimiko turned around to see none other than Chase Young.

"Heh. You've grown a little stronger. Controlling the fire like that without harming yourself takes some proficiency."

"Yeah yeah, I've been practicing." Kimiko spat back. "I've had enough of the Heylin. Why can't you guys just leave us alone?"

"Now now, Kimiko, I have important information to tell you, but it seems your call for help has been received. It would be in your best interest if you kept our brief meeting a secret."

He leapt onto a nearby roof before turning back around. "If you wish to learn more about your friend, the fourth dragon, I suggest you meet me in my lair. It is too risky for me to be here."

With that he left. Stunned, Kimiko stood blankly before Omi, Clay, and Dojo arrived.

"…You called for help Kimiko?" Clay spoke after a moment.

Kimiko stared blankly unsure how to respond.

"I...uh... yeah."

Silence thickened over the group, until Clay could no longer take it.

"Dang it Kimiko, just please talk to us. We want to help you."

"...help me?"

"Yeah. We want things to be the way they were... We want to help you overcome your... your-"

"-issues?" Kimiko finished for him.

"Well, I dunno if I'd call them issues-"

"No, it's fine. I understand," Kimiko replied, disappointed. It just wasn't fair. She could understand why they didn't believer her, but it just wasn't fair.

"So... will you talk with us about your... issues?"

* * *

A few weeks passed.

Kimiko admitted that she had a problem, that the voice that had been haunting her had actually been from repressed memories, from an old friend who disappeared when she was young. And though she hadn't gone on the last few sheng gong wu fights to avoid complications with her rib, she was now ready. The fire girl had recovered fully physically and mentally.

Well, that was the story she managed to convince the other monks to believe.

_The monsoon sandals and the changing chopsticks... _

She hated to trick her friends, but she knew that there was no way to convince them. Instead she had to find a way to Chase's lair; hopefully he wouldn't mind her being a few weeks late.

Tomorrow she would be allowed to go on her first Sheng Gong Wu hunt since the teddy bear incident, well, if Dojo sensed a Sheng Gong Wu. There luckily hadn't been too many Sheng Gong Wu, though the few that activated were quickly taken without a Xiaolin Showdown.

Kimiko had spent most of the day stretching and getting back in shape, and at around ten the monks began to retire to bed.

"Night Kimiko," Clay yawned, already in his pajamas and heading toward his cubicle.

"Good night, Clay."

Omi was already upside down and sleeping soundly. Moments later Clay was softly snoring.

* * *

There she was. Aunt Jessie milkin' Bessie.

"Clay, c'mere, Clay!"

I walked, the moon blurring the world in a milky shine. The barn ahead was changing shape a little, but I didn't notice. There she was, wearing an old dress too small for her with fresh tears on her eyes.

"Happy birthday!"

I came up and Bessie mooed playfully. Jessie caressed my head and gave me a kiss before putting the hat on.

Suddenly everything began to rumble. The wood of the barn that had been so strong and gentle began to shatter and bend and I looked up at Aunt Jessie's face and she started laughing with tears streaming down her face and her head began to grow and finally

the barn collapsed.

Clay jolted up in a cold sweat and briefly felt the rim of his hat that was nearby on the ground. He glanced at the clock. _12:38 p.m._

* * *

_So far so good... _Kimiko thought to herself.

She had snuck out of her cubicle and, just in case, left a dummy of sorts with a pillow body and a cantaloupe head (This would be her third transgression against the temple gardens). She grabbed a spare wig and styled it accordingly of course for her hair.

As a final touch, she used her tablet (what is it called?) to record herself asleep and created a loop track that would play all night.

The fire girl leaped off a few roofs and snuck past patrolling monks until she got into the Sheng Gong Wu vault. She opened the vault and ran down to the changing chopsticks and the monsoon sandals.

_Well, I'd better leave them with at least one Sheng Gong Wu. _

Kimiko grabbed the monsoon sandals and quickly dashed out of the vault.

* * *

_Well, since I can't sleep, I mine as well check on Kimiko... _

Clay rose slowly and rubbed his eyes. He put on his hat and gently swiped the curtain doors aside so as not to wake anyone.

He tip toed over to Kimiko's cubicle and partly pushed the curtain door. There she was, turned over so you couldn't see her face and snoring gently.

_Phew..._

_She's fake._

_What in tarnation?  
_

_Shes fake._

Clay glanced around nervously. Unable to find the source of the voice, he worriedly decided to go in and check on Kimiko. A small bean popped out of his ear.

* * *

Kimiko was heading toward the direction of Chase's lair, and right as she made it to the edge of the temple the temple alarm ran off.

She grunted and quickly leaped over the temple's outer wall, heading off into the forest and briefly glancing at the monsoon sandals; using the monsoon sandals would likely save her time and energy

_I guess these'll have to wait until I'm farther from the temple so they can't see me._

In an instant she was running through the dark woods with the loud bell clanging behind her. Having become familiar with the noises and sights of the woods at night, she was able to run through much more steadily.

Upon reaching a clearing, a voice rose amidst the dark.

"Did you miss me, little giiirl?"

The fire girl groaned. It was Katnappe. Before Kimiko could respond, Katnappe was up and whurring around on a jetpack, shooting missiles at her.

"Arrow sparrow!"

Fiery birds shot out aimed perfectly at the incoming missiles. Upon colliding, the missiles released flashing lights that dazed Kimiko. Katnappe dove in from the flashing, wearing a special type of lenses, and slashed Kimiko on the side. Kimiko desperately swiped back, missing.

The sound of kittens could be heard around Kimiko, and soon Katnappe's super kittens were all over her. She struggled to keep her balance and get them off. Soon Kimiko heard Katnappe diving in for another strike when she decided that she had had enough.

"Wudai Mars, Burst Fire!"

She released a blast of fire around her, a stronger version of the attack she had used on Chase. The kittens and Katnappe were knocked away from the force. The flashing subsided away and Katnappe was growling on the ground. Her jetpack burst back on and Katnappe was flying quickly toward the fire warrior.

"Judolette Dance, Rising Peacock!"

Quickly, Kimiko spun as if making a sweeping kick to dodge Katnappe's attack. As her foot moved against the air it drew flames. Once underneath Katnappe, Kimiko kicked upward in a spiral while pivoting on one foot, and flames spiraled with the kick. Katnappe was sent flying into some trees.

"There she is!" Omi yelled, pointing at Kimiko. He was riding on Dojo with Clay. Kimiko quickly dashed out of the clearing and into the woods once more.

...

She was panting heavily. The fire dragon had been dashing through the woods for the past few hours, too afraid to use the monsoon sandals. Kimiko took out a sandwich she had packed for the trip, only to see that it had been burned. She sighed and threw what was left of the sandwich away, continuing on her journey.

...

Kimiko finally decided to use the monsoon sandals, and luckily for her the monks had given up on their pursuit, or so she had thought. Thankfully, the forest was clearing to dry, rocky land.

...

The sun was beginning to rise, and the trip was taking its toll on Kimiko's body. She was nearing sharp cliffs, presumably coming closer to Chase's jagged lair. Suddenly her stretched legs were beginning to wobble and she fell on to her face. She picked herself up, breathing heavily. Her body was crashing.

...

Afraid to fall on her face again, Kimiko stopped using the monsoon sandals and kept walking on toward Chase's lair at a snail's pace. When she neared the entrance she groaned. Chase's lair was across a steep chasm. She would have to try and use the monsoon sandals and fling herself onto the other side.

"Kimiko... I... I can't believe you."

_No... just... no it can't be... I thought I lost them but instead they beat me here... no.._

Clay, Omi, and Dojo walked around from behind a rock formation.

"Wh-why? Why Kimiko?" Clay continued.

Kimiko looked down. She was too tired to resist them, and she had betrayed Clay and the rest of them again.

"Clay... please... you don't understand-"

"What I understand is that you and my aunt really are the same... what is... what is wrong with y'all!?"

It hit hard. Kimiko knew about Clay's aunt's sudden betrayal and was afraid of reopening that wound... she just.. she just had to see Chase and...

was it worse that she knew this might happen and that she did it anyway? And now... it was over. Regaining their trust was over. There was no turning back. She quickly leapt into the air, surprising and catching the others off guard.

"Ju*cough*-dolette flip! M-monsoon sandals!"

Kimiko mustered what energy she could and combined the sheng gong wu with one of her signature moves for a quick getaway. She sloppily but hastily flipped and one of her feet shot out towards the other side of the cliff.

"Kimiko! No! You're gonna-"

Dojo quickly enlarged and sprang into action, seeing Kimiko's iminent fall. Kimiko's stretched leg touched the other side of the chasm but began to wobble. He dashed toward Kimiko, ready to save her when suddenly a dark blur whizzed by and saved her in his stead. Dojo quickly returned to the monks.

"Take us to the other side Dojo.. I'd like to have a word with Chase." Without a word, Dojo flew them to the other side of the chasm. They were met with Chase holding an unconscious Kimiko bridal style.

"Clay... Omi... and Dojo... I'm afraid none of you have business here." His tiger warriors began to appear. Dojo cowered behind Omi's large head.

"We want our friend back!" Omi defiantly yelled while pointing at Chase.

One of the tiger warriors transformed into a medieval swordsman.

"Take her to the guest room," Chase ordered, handing her to the swordsman.

"No-"

Chase quickly dashed to the location of the other monks while Dojo quickly backed off.

"Tiger Mauling Deer!"

Omi quickly leapt above. "Diving Crow!"

Chase spun in midair. "Octopus Strike!"

He caught Omi's leg, when suddenly Clay ran in for a punch. Chase let go of Omi and flipped away.

"What business do you have here?" Chase suddenly spoke.

The group gave a perplexed look. "You mean, you don't know why she came here? We don't know either," Dojo responded.

"No, of course not," Chase replied, "but I am keeping her here as payment for invading my property. However, I will not harm her."

"Well now, you just hold-"

Before Clay could finish, Chase whistled and called a large mass of tiger warriors. They kept coming in from his lair, forcing the monks to the back of the cliff.

"Uh, guys, I think it's time to go."

"But-"

The tigers growled viciously, and Dojo quickly enlarged with the monks leaping on top of him.

As they flew away, Clay looked down, clutching his hat, and Omi looked back and sighed.

"What are we going to do, Clay?" Omi asked.

"Well... I reckon were gonna have to come up with a plan and come back to save her."

...

Kimiko's vision blurred open to jade lighting.

"I see you are awake Kimiko."

Kimiko flinched in surprise but calmed when she realized it was Chase. And then tensed.

"..."

"Your body is quite exhausted. We will be having dinner soon down the stairs and two halls to your left where I will discuss what has happened."

With that he quickly strode out the door, leaving Kimiko to her thoughts.

_...Can I really trust him?... He does seem to have more honor than the other villains... but he still tricked Omi in the end.  
_

Her stomach growled.

_I guess I'll just have to find out._

She slowly brought her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed the monsoon sandals that Chase had left on a nearby table. The fire girl grimaced a little after standing up as her legs were fairly sore.

Once she was out the door Kimiko had realized that she was in one of Chase's floating rooms. The floating stairs led down to a hall on her left. There was no end in sight below her, as if she were floating in a jade tinted dream.

As she made her way to the dining room the lighting changed to red, and the smell of dragon soup filled her nose, to her distaste.

As she came in, Chase was sipping his soup and gestured toward the other side of the long table. She had a bowl of rice, sliced barbecue pork, and bok choy. Kimiko hesitated.

"The food is clean. You have my word," Chase spoke without looking up.

Kimiko's face tinged pink as a little before she dug in. _Mmmmm_..._this pork..._

"I've occasionally been watching the events of the temple, and I've noticed your strange behavior. If I am not mistaken, you seem to somehow remember the fourth dragon."

"Well, I don't exactly remember the fourth dragon...," Kimiko said between bites, "...but I know that he's there. His voice was calling me for help, and I remember times when there should have been a fourth dragon."

Chase took a sip of his soup. "His name was Raimundo, or to his friends, Rai."

Kimiko choked on her food for a second. "You know him?"

"Yes, and unfortunately they know him too."

After a brief pause, Kimiko asked, "Whose 'they'?"

"The... Heylin Alliance. Unfortunately, Hannibal has managed to convince the other Heylin to join together."

Kimiko nearly spat her food. "What!? I mean... it makes sense considering their attacks, but how?"

"Various promises... and the means to conquer the world."

Kimiko stopped eating. "What 'means'?"

...

"Cheer up kiddoes..." Dojo said unconvincingly, as he was also sad.

They had arrived back to the temple, tired after the night's events.

"Well, now that Kimiko is gone, there is no chance that you will get away."

Omi broke into stance and began to eye the surrounding area while Clay positioned behind his back.

"That voice... there's no mistaking it. It's Wuya," Clay spoke.

"And she's not alone, Xiaolin losers." rose another voice. It was Jack, and beside him was Katnappe.

"...What are you doing here?" Omi asked.

...

At midnight, the moon disappeared. A black fog settled on different parts of the world and, as suddenly as it had come, it vanished.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Raimundo's Mission

**Alright, so I combined the last few chapters into one. Here's another one. It's not exactly the most exciting chapter, but it is still important to the plot. :D**

* * *

**Raimundo's Mission (flashback)  
**

"Raimundo, a guest has come to see you."

At the sound of Master Fung's voice Rai stopped his training and turned to see the Bird of Paradise in old hag form standing beside Master Fung. Master Fung had purposely had the other three monks training in a new obstacle course.

"Woah! If it isn't the tone deaf old lady. Thanks for the powers! They came in really handy."

"Ahem, please excuse my student."

"Don't worry about it. Young people these days can't appreciate the great art of Chinese yodeling."

Raimundo mentally sweatdropped.

"Well, that's not important. As a Xiaolin warrior of Shoku status, it is now time to activate even greater powers and become stronger," continued the old lady. In a brilliant flash she transformed into the majestic Bird of Paradise.

"Hold on tight."

Rai hesitated in surprise. He was actually going to ride the Bird of Paradise? He straddled on and the bird kicked off, flapping into the skies and leaving behind a trail of shine.

...

"So... where exactly are we headed?" Rai asked, after flying for a while.

"We are headed to the Temple of Heaven, and when we are half way there I will drop you," the Bird replied.

"W-what!?"

"This is part of your training. I expect that you will be able to fly with me the rest of the way."

"A-are you crazy!? I can't fly this high yet-"

"-It looks like we're almost there. In 5, 4, 3, 2... 1!" With a squawk, the Bird of Paradise spun around and forced Raimundo off of her.

"AAAAAAAHAAAAHAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The air was rushing past him, and he fell through some clouds.

_Fly Fly Fly Fly Fly_

* * *

_"What's up Master Fung?" Rai asked while training._

_"Today you will be learning how to fly."_

_At the word fly, Rai leaped several feet into the air with a "YAHOO!"_

_"For beginners, flying properly will take much concentration. They will be more focused on the act of flying than their surroundings, which is quite dangerous," after pausing briefly for Rai to take this in, Master Fung continued, "First off, similar to the way you just jumped, you will need to push the air beneath you downward for lift off, but afterward becomes difficult. To suspend yourself in the air properly you must sustain a current of air that will constantly push you away from the ground. This will be hard and tiring at first."_

_Rai began to gather his chi and try out what Master Fung was saying. With a great burst Rai was up in the air, but when he tried to sustain himself he found himself rocking violently up and down.  
_

_"W-woah!" _

_Rai couldn't handle it anymore and fell flat on his butt._

* * *

After falling through some more clouds he could see the Earth below him. Rai began to panic.

* * *

_After a few hours Rai was able to sustain himself, but was worn out. The next day, Master Fung once again took him out to an open field and began instructing him._

_"This time you will create a directional current while sustaining yourself. For beginners, it is much easier to use the wind to push behind you, similar to a hovercraft. Being able to sustain yourself and control a directional current takes even greater concentration."_

_Rai groaned. How was he supposed to control two currents like that? It was difficult enough to sustain himself in the air. He lifted himself off of the ground and began to steady himself in the air. Then he tried to create a draft that would push him ahead, but he began to drop a little, unable to sustain himself in the air as he pushed.  
_

* * *

The green blobs below him began to look a little bit like trees.

_There's no way it can end this way! C'mon, Wind!_

* * *

_After a rough few hours of trying to fly Rai began to complain in frustration._

_"Why does it have to be this difficult? Can't I just, I don't know, fly around with the wind instead of creating these two drafts?"_

_Master Fung smiled. "Doing such a thing is actual a more advanced yet less exhausting way of flying, but it requires a lot of mastery."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"It requires one to become one with the wind, not simply be it's user."_

* * *

_Not simply be it's user..._

Rai began to feel the air around him. All the particles, all the movements, the freedom and complex harmony...

_I am one with the wind!_

"Wind!"

The wind around him moved with him and he moved with the wind.

...

After a few minutes the Bird of Paradise began to have her doubts. Was he really ready for this? She began to nosedive downward to save him from splatting to the ground when suddenly she felt a woosh that nearly knocked her off balance.

"What's next, old lady?" Rai asked with a smirk.

"Let's see if you can keep this up all the way to the Sky Temple," she replied with a hint of praise in her voice.

* * *

Back at the temple, monks were being evacuated as a strong disturbance made it's way to the temple.

"Prepare yourselves, this is a strong Heylin presence that I have never felt before," Master Fung warned his students. Dojo was shaking warily beside Omi at the temple gates.

From a distance one could see the ominous black fog headed toward the temple. As it came closer, the monks saw a hooded figure within the fog. Suddenly it stopped.

The Xiaolin warriors tensed into a stance, unsure what to expect, when monsters began to form out of the fog. A giant two headed turtle floated out of the fog, and once it caught sight of the monks, it began to charge ferociously at them. Another monster formed out of the fog, a giant wolf with rhinoceros feet and a horn.

"What odd creatures," Omi spoke lowly. "Water!"

Omi flipped into the air and created great waves of water that he launched at the charging turtle. Upon connecting with the turtle, the waves dissipated.

"What?" he asked, as the turtle came close. He quickly dodged out of the way of its charge.

Meanwhile the fox was charging toward Kimiko. Kimiko dodged out of the way of its horn but the wolf followed up with its sharp teeth.

"Wudai Mars: Earth!"

A pillar of earth came between Kimiko and the wolf's mouth, knocking Kimiko back slightly. Once the pillar came in contact with the wolf's mouth, it stopped shorter than Clay intended but it at least blocked the wolf from eating Kimiko.

"Monks! It seems that these beasts nullify Xiaolin attacks!" Master Fung called out to them. He had also joined the fray and fought the giant turtle with Omi using physical attacks against one of its heads.

The lone figure watched from a distance, silently gauging the monks' strength.

* * *

As they neared the Sky Temple, the Bird of Paradise suddenly felt a disturbance.

"W-what is this?"

"What's wrong?" Rai asked.

"I sense a great disturbance at the temple. A presence so strong... it can't be... Quickly, back to the temple!"

...

A couple of hours had passed before they made it back to the temple. There was little damage done to the buildings, but a large black fog was flowing at the temple gate.

* * *

**(back to the present)  
**

Clay yawned and stretched as he woke up. He glanced at his clock. _7:25_ _a.m._

He put on his hat that was lay near him on the floor and began his regular morning routine. Except something didn't feel quite right.

He looked uncomfortably at the four cubicles in the room. There were only two monks, but four cubicles? He nervously went to check on Kimiko when he realized that she had run off. How could he have forgotten? She had betrayed him...

He looked down solemnly but continued on to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

...

After making himself some breakfast Dojo came by. "...How ya feeling Clay?"

"Lower than... so low I can't even come up with anything to say..." Clay sighed.

Dojo gave him a concerned look but couldn't think of anything to say himself when Master Fung entered.

"...Clay. I understand that bad things have occurred, but to rescue Kimiko and stop the Heylin you must grow stronger. Indeed, with the severity of the situation I will be giving you special training."

"...Alright Master Fung..." _I guess that's the only thing I can do right now. Become stronger so that I can save Kimiko and stop the Heylin._

With a glint of renewed determination, Clay finished his breakfast and followed Master Fung for his special training.

...

"...what?"

"You heard me correctly Clay. I want you to lift that pebble over and over again for the next few hours."

Clay couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was his special training? Then again, it was Master Fung, and his training wasn't always what it seemed.

Groaning inwardly, Clay began to pick up the pebble over and over again as he was told.

"Good Clay. This will help you gain patience and become one with the earth."

Unknown to Clay, Master Fung turned around and began to snicker.

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**Please read and review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Welcome Back, Rai

**Since it has been a while I figured I would do a recap, or that I should have done one last chapter but since I didn't here is one. :)**

**Recap: Kimiko has troubles with a voice in her head. She also has odd memories with one person missing. The Heylin attack and overpower the monks much to their surprise and take most of the Sheng Gong Wu. Kimiko tells Clay and Omi about the strange voice. Clay tells Kimiko about his aunt who also had a voice in her head the she believed to be her lost son. The aunt went crazy, went out during the middle of the night to find him, held Clay hostage seeking help to find her son, and eventually died from an illness. One night, Kimiko finds a teddy bear in her room that seems to urge her toward the woods. Clay finds her and realizes that she is going out to the woods like his aunt did. After a brief confrontation, Kimiko escapes to the woods and eventually finds a medallion. She decides to show these objects to her friends and falls asleep in a tree. She is rudely woken up by Katnappe and Wuya and after a desperate Xiaolin technique she makes it back to the temple, worn out and collapsing in front of the others. The two objects she shows the others are no longer a medallion and teddy bear; somehow they have become Omi's Ancient Guide to Females and Dojo's yoyo. After recovering for a while Chase tells her that he knows about her predicament, so later Kimiko plans an escape to his lair. She makes it only to run into Clay and Omi who were waiting there (used Dojo). Chase scares them off with his tigers and Kimiko falls asleep, exhausted. Clay and Omi return to an attack at the temple. Later during the night a black fog descends, and Clay wakes up only remembering Kimiko.**

**It would be great if you read those chapters though :)**

* * *

Raimundo woke up to a white ceiling in a day lit room. Beside him he saw the surprised looks of people around his age.

"H-he's awake!" the boy with brown hair and blue eyes yelled.

All of them started smiling at Raimundo, which gave him slight chills.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

Suddenly they all frowned. "He has amnesia,"the girl with red hair and brown eyes uttered.

Rai looked around at each of them nervously. "Amnesia?"

"It's when you can't remember much after something happened. You've been out like 2 and a half days," the third person in the room informed him. He was blonde and had brown eyes.

"I know what amnesia is. I just... I don't know."

The three gave him a concerned look which disturbed Rai again.

"I'll go tell the nurse," the blonde spoke. "Why don't you guys reintroduce us to Rai?"

"That sounds like a good idea," the girl spoke. "I'm Miko."

"And I'm Ay."

"Ay? That's an odd name," Rai responded.

Ay chuckled. "That's what you said the first time we met."

After some silence, Rai asked, "who was the blonde guy?"

"Oh, he's Dayton."

"Yeah that's me," he said with a grin walking back into the room with a nurse. His grin seemed a little more... natural than the others.

"So Rai has amnesia?" asked the nurse.

"Ya, he can't remember us at all," replied Miko.

**...**

After a brief examination, Rai was allowed to go home with his 'friends.' Needless to say the ride their was bizarre. His 'mother' had picked him up from the hospital, and Miko and Ay were conversing while Dayton remained a bit silent sitting next to Rai.

"Do you, by chance, happen to remember _anything_ at all?" Dayton asked suddenly.

"...Besides my name, no," Rai replied disappointingly. There was a brief tug on Dayton's lips, as if he was about to smile, but quickly it changed into a frown. Rai noticed but didn't say anything.

"Well, I guess I'll tell you as much about yourself as I can. You live in a small town called Jessie. This town has been slowly growing over the years; it used to be mostly a rural farming town but now its developing into something along the lines of a suburb."

Rai looked out the window and watched as mini malls and auto shops passed by, taking in what Dayton was saying. Soon they also passed a dirt road that led to a horse ranch.

"You're an only child, and a sophomore at Jessie High. You're also pretty popular, especially around the girls," Dayton said with a slight grin. Rai couldn't help but feel a bit of pride knowing this.

"And uh, yeah, today is Saturday. Now that you are out of the hospital, me and the others were thinking about hanging out with you. You don't mind do you?"

"Nah of course not," Rai answered, calming down. Ever since he had woken up at the hospital with few memories, he had been admittedly very nervous. But hearing about his life from Dayton, he couldn't help but feel relieved, even a little excited.

**...**

Later that day at Rai's house, Rai and his friends were playing Zombie Smash 3. Rai couldn't believe how awesome his house was. He had a giant bonus room with air hockey, a giant TV and a lot of video games, foozball, arcade machines... It was amazing.

"Rai! I brought you and your friends some snacks!" his mom called. Her name was Sharon. She came with a plate of crescent dogs, cookies, and fruit punch. The crescent dogs aroma filled the room, much to Rai's delight. Though his mom gave another bizarre grin, Rai ignored it and happily filled himself with snacks. Dayton started laughing at Rai's gluttonous behavior while Ay and Miko were both distracted by the video game.

"You're such a pig, jeez," Dayton teased. He himself also began to pig out and Rai playfully rolled his eyes.

After snacking, Dayton asked, "can we play Mutants after this?"

"Uh yeah sure," Rai replied, going over to the shelf of video games. After a brief search he found the game. It had a weird animal on the front that seemed to be a mix of a horse and a fox.

"That's my favorite game by the way," Dayton said. "I love animals and imagining them mixed up together."

Rai raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Heheh, I know it's a bit odd," Dayton said a little embarrassed.

"I'm only teasing Dayton," Rai laughed, "it seems like a pretty cool game."

"Ya, it is a cool game," Miko agreed.

Rai put it in and suddenly a wild charging ostrich with a tiger's head appeared on the screen and made a sound that seemed like a roar mixed with a squawk. The appearance made Rai jump and Dayton burst out laughing.

"You jumped that way the first time too."

**...**

After playing for a while, Miko and Ay said that they should probably go home and after a few goodbyes they left, as their homes were within walking distance.

"I guess I'll be going too," said Dayton, "D'ya wanna go fishing tomorrow?"

"Sure, why not?" Rai answered. With a smile Dayton left, leaving Rai to think to himself for a while.

_Wow, things aren't so bad after all. I could really get used to this._

The feeling of worry that Rai had when he had first woken up returned, however.

_But... this doesn't feel right. I feel like I should be somewhere else doing... well I don't know._

"Dinner!"

With a sigh, Rai went downstairs for dinner.

"So did you guys have fun?" Sharon asked while putting the dinner on the table. They were having spaghetti and salad.

"Ya we had lots of fun. I can see why Dayton likes that Mutant game so much," Rai replied between bites.

Sharon gave Rai a giant, unnerving, beaming grin.

"That's good. The weather sure is nice today," she responded. Rai gave a perplexed look but looked outside the window. The sun was setting and the weather truly was beautiful outside.

"Ya, it sure is."

Suddenly he felt an overwhelming feeling, as if somebody was trying to reach him from far away. _W-what is this?_

He began to sweat and shake, until suddenly the feeling ended. Rai's mom didn't seem to notice.

"Uh, did you feel that just now, m-mom?" It felt odd calling her his mom. And where was his dad?

"Feel what?"

"Ah... nothing."

"How's the spaghetti?"

"Really good, ya."

"O that's good."

"By the way, where is dad?"

"O, he's out on a business trip."

"Oh ok."

After some awkward silence, Rai was done with his dinner and told his mom that he was going to explore the house, to which she agreed with another unnerving smile.

So far Rai had seen the living room, the bonus room, a bathroom, and the dining room. As he wandered around the first floor, he came upon the master bedroom. There was a TV, pillow top bed, a bunch of pictures... he continued in to the master bathroom which had a large whirlpool tub, a shower, and so on.

Rai couldn't help but feel uneasy. Nothing was familiar, not even the pictures on the walls and tables.

He left their bedroom and found an exercise room. It had a lot of basic equipment, such as a running mill and weights. He left the exercise room and continued to explore the first floor until he got bored and decided to go upstairs.

Upstairs there was the bonus room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. The vacant bedroom was being used as a martial arts dojo, much to Rai's surprise.

Finally of course was his bedroom. When Rai entered, a display case of trophies and medals immediately stole his attention. They were for martial arts, so apparently he was a champ in martial arts and the dojo was for him. Not only was that freaking awesome, but it felt familiar. His room also had a computer and dresser, but aside from the display case there wasn't much to see except for a few martial arts posters.

Bored, Rai decided to play some more Zombie Smash 3 before getting ready for bed.

As he lay in bed, he thought about what he would do tomorrow. _I guess I'll explore town a bit tomorrow._

He yawned a bit and briefly looked at the clock before going to sleep. _9:40 p.m._

* * *

"A mysterious newcomer to the Heylin side," Chase continued. "A hooded figure who uses a mysterious black fog to attack. With its assistance, the Heylin who have joined it have enhanced power. It has also promised various things such as money and power to those who join him, though I'm assuming Hannibal and Wuya may be plotting to use it and turn on it to rule the world for themselves. I am not so foolish."

Chase paused for Kimiko to take this all in. "I still have much to learn about this new, or perhaps ancient, threat. But more importantly Raimundo Pedrosa's disappearance is most likely related to this figure. The Heylin are unaffected by the memory wipe, which is why your... urges were quite the surprise. And with enhanced powers and a Xiaolin dragon missing, it was easy for them to defeat you."

Kimiko was pensively staring downward before she looked up at Chase again. "If Rai was calling out for my help then that must mean that he still exists somewhere, right?"

"Probably."

"Well, what if his calls have stopped? A while ago I stopped hearing him, and soon I couldn't feel him no matter how much I tried. Do you think...?"

"It is possible that he is gone now..."

There was a grim pause, but Kimiko still had more to ask.

"...Also, if what you say is true, then they have been toying with me and the others this whole time, right? Why? Why not just destroy us in one fell swoop?"

"The figure seems to want you all preserved for some reason. The situation is very bizarre indeed," Chase answered. "Unfortunately, I have more alarming news to share. Last night, I could feel its power at work. The source seemed to be coming from the temple."

Kimiko instantly felt uneasy. "I hope Clay is alright."

Chase paused briefly. "Clay? Only Clay?"

"Y-yeah who else?

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**Thanks for reading! Please read and review! And thank you to those who have stuck with this story for so long it is greatly appreciated :)**


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